United States v. Rangel

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After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of three counts relating to marijuana trafficking and was sentenced to 121 months of incarceration. Defendant filed a motion to vacate his conviction and sentence, alleging that his trial and appellate counsel had provided ineffective assistance. The district court denied the motion. The Fourth Circuit affirmed, holding (1) Defendant was not prejudiced by his trial counsel’s failure to request an instruction that the jury find a drug weight based on the amount attributable to or reasonably foreseeable by Defendant; (2) Defendant was not prejudiced by his appellate counsel’s failure to raise the failure to request that instruction as an issue on direct appeal; and (3) Defendant’s trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to challenge the drug weight and advisory guidelines range at sentencing. View "United States v. Rangel" on Justia Law